Volker Sommer Explained

Volker Sommer (born June 2, 1954) is a German author, anthropologist, and Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology[1] at University College London (UCL). His research focusses on the evolution of primate social and sexual behaviour, cognition, rituals, biodiversity conservation, animal rights and evolutionary ethics.

Life

Sommer was born in Holzhausen am Reinhardswald near Kassel, Germany. In his youth, he was a winner of the German national competition Jugend forscht (Youth Research, or Young Scientist) with his 1973 thesis on the social behavior of caterpillars. After completing his high-school education, he studied biology, chemistry and theology in Göttingen, Marburg, Berlin and Hamburg. Since 1981, he has been involved in a long-term study of Hanuman langurs in India. Between 1986 and 1988 he was the recipient of a scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Sommer was awarded his doctorate in 1985, and his habilitation in 1990. In 1990 he took part in a multi-year study of gibbons in the forests of Thailand. After this was completed, he taught private Anthropology and Primatology lessons at the University of Göttingen. He also received the Heisenberg Scholarship from the German Research Foundation between 1991 and 1996, and was a researcher at the University of California in Davis.

Since 1996, Sommer has lectured on Evolutionary Anthropology at University College London. He has also led an international project to study the chimpanzees in the forests of Nigeria.[2]

Sommer has published approximately 100 works on the biology of social and sexual behaviour, as well as several works of fiction. His works have been translated into several languages including English, Spanish, Italian, Wallonian, Korean, and Hindi. He regularly writes articles for magazines such as Geo, Stern, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Frankfurt General Times), Nature, Kosmos, Die Zeit, Der Spiegel, Die Welt, Die Weltwoche and Neue Zürcher Zeitung. He also takes part in radio, film, and television programmes, often as a panelist discussing his unusual research methods, or to give lectures. In October 2013 he appeared on BBC Radio 4's Museum of Curiosity, where he 'donated' 10 defecated ant heads to the collection.[3]

Sommer is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Giordano Bruno Foundation[4]

Works (abridged)

Books and Edited Volumes

(A) Evolutionary Biology and Primatology

(B) Arts and Arts History

(C) Novels and Poetry

Documentaries

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Stephan . Achim . Walter . Sven . Handbuch Kognitionswissenschaft . 2014 . J. B. Metzler . Stuttgart . 978-3-476-05288-9 . 25–34 . 29 June 2020.
  2. Web site: The Gashaka Primate Project . University College London . 2012 . April 9, 2015.
  3. Web site: Museum of Curiosity (BBC Radio 4) with Volker Sommer . University College London . 2015 . April 9, 2015.
  4. Web site: Advisory council . Giordano Bruno Foundation . 2015 . April 9, 2015 . German.

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